Unveiling the germination behavior of kidney beans: Insights into their physicochemical, antinutrients, and functional characteristics in whole and dehusked matrices

Kidney beans, considered a vital component of global food security, undergo a profound transformation during germination, providing new insights into their nutritional profile. This study meticulously examines the impact of germination durations (24, 48, and 72 hours) on whole and dehusked kidney beans. During germination, a notable surge in protein content occurs, reaching 19.05% for whole beans and 17.23% for dehusked beans. Following 72 hours of germination, whole kidney beans show remarkable increases in crude fiber (121.07%), calcium (158.75%), iron (135.31%), zinc (79.6%), and antioxidant properties (58.18%). Moreover, the present study demonstrates significant improvements in attributes such as α-amylase activity (20.10 mg maltose/3 min), foaming capacity (110.74%), foaming stability (92.04%), emulsion capacity (184.02%), and emulsion stability (274.67%) after 72 hours. The levels of phytic acid and tannin content decreased by approximately 36.24% and 31.48%, respectively, after 72 hours of germination in dehusked kidney beans. In comparison, the whole germinated kidney beans exhibited lower levels, with reductions of about 26.60% in phytic acid and 25.31% in tannin content during the same period. In the future, it will be worth exploring the development of machinery for dehusking kidney beans and to utilize whole and dehusked matrices in food and beverage formulations.